He looked up into the rocks in the direction that Marina was staring. He blinked when a lean boy appeared a moment later followed by a slender young girl. From their coloring and build, he could see the resemblance to Marina.
Marina raised her hand and waved. “Come down. We must make camp before dark,” she said.
Mike watched the two younger children carefully climb down. The boy turned several times to help the girl. Mike instinctively stepped forward and reached up to help the girl down from the last boulder. He didn’t miss the look of fear that flashed through her eyes as they darted from him to Marina. He patiently waited for her to realize he meant no harm. Charlie helped by jumping up and putting his paws on the rock to reach eagerly for her hand with his long, wet tongue. The girl softly giggled when she felt Charlie’s enthusiastic greeting.
“Come, Erin,” Marina whispered reassuringly. “We must hurry.”
Mike gently lowered the girl to the ground and turned in time to see Marina pause when the boy reached out to grip her arm. The boy’s eyes were focused on Mike’s face, and he could feel the barely contained animosity.
“Who is he?” Geoff demanded.
Mike didn’t miss the slight movement of the boy’s hand. Geoff’s fingers were wrapped around the handle of a long knife sheathed at his waist. The look in his eyes must have warned the boy not to pull it out, because his hand wavered for a moment before falling to his side.
“I don’t know, but he saved my life,” Marina admitted in a quiet, hesitant voice.
The boy’s eyes widened before his gaze moved back to Mike. “Which village are you from? You look different from us,” Geoff said as a light of curiosity came into his eyes.
“No shit,” Mike muttered before he flushed when Marina’s lips twitched again. “I’m not from around here… Wherever, in the hell, ‘here’ is. Your name is Geoff, right?”
“Yes. I am Geoff, son of Ariness and Cornelia,” Geoff stated. “What are you called?”
“Mike Hallbrook—Detective Mike Hallbrook and this fur-ball is Charlie. I work for the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department and the Yachats Police Department in Oregon. Listen, before I go any further, I want to know what is going on. What was that… thing back on the beach? Why are you hiding, and where are we going? I think before I go any further, I deserve some answers,” he said, folding his arms across his chest.
He saw Marina’s chin lift, and she gave him an impatient look before glancing up at the sky again. He could see the indecision on her face before she released the breath she was holding. There was a sense of apprehension in the stiffness of her shoulders as she gazed back at him.
“We do not have much time,” she said, stepping closer to him until she was standing in front of him. “I am not sure what happened back on the beach. I cast a spell, and you appeared. You know this is my brother, Geoff, and this is my sister, Erin. I have told you who I am. The thing back on the beach was a creature summoned through black magic by the Sea Witch. She and her minions are who we hide from. We must seek safety before darkness descends.”
“Why? Why before dark?” Mike asked in a soft tone.
Marina’s expression grew sad before she turned her face away from him. “Because, the Sea Witch created a spell that drains our powers if we try to use them after dark. Without our magic, we would be defenseless against the creatures she created. Now, will you come with us or not? We cannot delay any longer,” she explained quietly before looking up at him again.
Mike’s lips tightened at the look of determination in Marina’s eyes. He sensed that she was telling him the truth. Giving her a curt nod, he decided it was best to follow along, at least until he could figure out how to get back home. The last thing he wanted to do was meet up with more of those ‘Hellhounds’ in the middle of the night.
It was obvious he was no longer in Oregon. The question was—where was he? His gazed around at the growing darkness. Night when it should be mid-morning, the dead creature on the beach, Marina’s talking magic bow, twin moons, and now a spell that drained magic—the list was growing.
Hell, with the way things are going, all I need to do is find a yellow brick road, change Charlie’s name to Toto, and find a tornado to make this nightmare complete, he thought as he and Charlie followed behind the young girl called Erin.
Chapter Six
Mike kept a keen eye on where they were going. They were heading in a different direction, away from the boulders and the beach. If the sun rose and set in the same directions as it did back home, then they were heading east.
He glanced at Marina. She was leading them along a winding, steep trail that ran parallel to a river. Nearly half a mile down the path, the river narrowed. He shook his head in wonder when she climbed the boulders up to a massive dead tree that created a bridge across the turbulent waters and the small waterfall created by the constriction of boulders and dead branches that had washed down the river.
Geoff turned and lifted Erin onto the tree, while Marina held out her bow to steady her sister and help pull her up. Charlie whined, not wanting to be away from the little girl who he had taken a shine to. It took a couple of tries, but with a little help from Geoff, the dog was able to scramble up onto the tree.
It was obvious from the silent teamwork that the three of them had worked together many times before in similar situations. Mike frowned when a strange and unexpected emotion swept through him as he studied Marina’s expressive face. It felt like someone had reached inside him and tugged on his heart.
He didn’t know if it was because he was confused by everything that had happened or if it was a phenomenon caused by being in this alternate reality. Whatever was causing the emotion, it was frustrating the hell out of him. Of course, he’d always been a sucker for a damsel in distress, even though this damsel could probably turn him into a toad if he wasn’t careful.
Shaking his head, he climbed up after Geoff and navigated his way through the dried and broken limbs. Geoff swung around in front of Erin, calling for Charlie to follow him. Mike understood why when they reached the other side and had to work their way through the tangle of dried roots to the rocky shore of the river. Geoff helped Charlie down first before he turned back to help his younger sister. Once they were down, Geoff made a beeline for the forest. Mike looked up at the massive trees the size of the redwoods back home.
“Hurry,” Marina softly called.
“Marina, I…,” Erin started to say.
Mike reached out and steadied Erin when she slipped on the smooth river stones and almost fell. He motioned for Charlie to back up when the dog whined and pushed his nose against Erin’s hand. Mike could feel heat radiating from Erin through the material covering her arms.
“Steady there. Marina, Erin feels like she has a fever,” he said.
“Yes, I know. That is why we went to the village. She needs help. I had hoped the healer would help her more than she did, but it was too dangerous. We were lucky she helped us at all,” Marina replied with a tired nod.
“Can’t you make her better?” Mike asked, wrapping a supporting arm around Erin’s waist before lifting her into his arms when her legs gave out. “I saw you do something to your leg back on the beach.”
Marina shook her head and touched Erin’s cheek with the tips of her fingers. “No, I can heal myself of minor wounds, but it does not work on others. I do not have the power to focus on their pain. With myself, I know what hurts and can focus enough to send a touch of healing to it. Erin has the gift to heal, but so many of the children have been ill lately that she is weak. Now, the sickness has found its way inside her,” she murmured.
“Why didn’t the healer help her more?” Mike asked with a frown.
“Because the Sea Witch would find out,” Geoff answered bitterly, scratching Charlie’s head when the dog circled around him. “We barely escaped as it was. The Sea Witch would have destroyed the village just as she destroyed ours.”
“Sea Witch? You’ve mentioned her earlier.
Who is she, and what do you mean by destroy the village?” Mike asked with a raised eyebrow. “Are you talking about a sea witch who lives at the bottom of the sea? Like in the story of the Little Mermaid?”
Erin giggled. “The mermaids do not like her,” she whispered, resting her head against Mike’s shoulder and closing her eyes. “The Sea King sent her to the bottom of the ocean. I wish she would have stayed there.”
“He should have killed her when he had the chance! Isha said she tried to harm one of the Sea King’s sons a year ago. Instead, he let her go again, and now she is here. We are almost to the tree where we will spend the night. Erin needs to rest, and she needs a chance to let the healing stones help her,” Marina said before turning back and striding toward the woods.
“So, why did this Sea Witch come here? Can she live out of the water? I mean, isn’t she like this octopus type creature or something?” Mike asked, shifting Erin in his arms.
Geoff snorted behind him. “Maybe the Sea Witch from your kingdom is,” he said in a gruff tone. “She is the cousin of the Sea King. She can breathe on land or under the Sea, just like all the sea people can.”
“She came to force our people to help her overthrow the Sea King. Papa said that she wanted to rule all of the Kingdoms. I don’t know why, it seems like it would be most difficult,” Erin whispered. Her eyes fluttered open, and she stared at Marina. “Tell him, Marina. Geoff is right. He might be the one Isha told us about.”
“Who is this Isha, and tell me what?” Mike asked in frustration as they stepped between two large trees.
“Isha is our older brother,” Marina explained.
“He was the King and Queen’s Captain of the Guard,” Geoff added, climbing over a tree trunk.
“Was?” Mike asked, carefully maneuvering over the log behind Geoff.
Geoff paused and looked at Mike. “The Sea Witch turned him, the Queen, and everyone in the palace to stone,” he stated.
“Stone….” Mike repeated.
Erin shivered in his arms. “Everyone except the King. His heart and soul are frozen. Nothing can touch him, not even the Sea Witch,” she whispered.
“Frozen…. Alrighty, I think I’ve definitely landed in an alternate reality,” Mike muttered.
“We’ll stay the night here. Charlie, Mr. Tree may not appreciate you watering him,” Marina warned when the pup started sniffing the base of the tree.
Erin giggled again while Geoff snickered. Mike could totally understand Charlie’s confused look. Marina had stopped in front of a tree that was twice as big as the others.
His arms tightened around Erin when she suddenly began to shiver uncontrollably. His skepticism must have shown on his face. Marina gave him a small smile before she reached forward and touched the trunk of the tree.
“Please, Mr. Tree, we need shelter for the night,” she said.
Geoff’s laugh warned Mike that his jaw was hanging down. He snapped it shut, but that didn’t keep the awe from his expression. The tree trembled under Marina’s touch and the seam where the bark had healed opened to reveal a cavernous interior. Marina turned and motioned for them to go inside.
Mike bowed his head and followed Geoff and Charlie through the narrow opening. Straightening, he was surprised to see the interior was aglow with tiny green lights. Geoff shrugged off the pack he was carrying and set it on the ground. Mike turned in a tight circle. His gaze skimmed the interior. There was no way he was going to place Erin on the ground.
“I’ll lay down a cover for Erin,” Geoff said, reaching inside his pack.
“Let me have the fire sticks,” Marina instructed.
Geoff looked up and scowled. “A fire won’t last long. As soon as night falls completely, the fire will go out,” he said.
“Yes, but at least it will give us some warmth,” Marina retorted.
Mike looked up. The center of the tree was hollow all the way up. Near the top he could see places where small amounts of light shone. Looking back at Geoff, he waited for the boy to spread a thin blanket across the ground. He gently lowered Erin onto the blanket. Charlie immediately curled up next to the shivering little girl. Erin’s thin arm wrapped around the pup.
Marina was pulling several short, fat sticks out of the bag. She stacked them in the center. Within seconds, they began to glow, and Mike could feel the heat. He was shocked when she adjusted one without it burning her.
She looked up at that moment and caught his surprised expression. Once again, the hint of a smile lifted the corner of her mouth. She stood up and picked up her bow.
“This will give us some warmth. Unfortunately, it won’t last long. The magic will dissipate as the darkness of night grows,” she explained with a hint of regret in her voice.
“Why don’t you just build a regular fire?” Mike asked.
Marina briefly glanced at the opening before she turned back to him. He saw the regret and exhaustion in her eyes. His gaze moved to Geoff and Erin. The boy was pulling several more blankets out of the backpack. Mike watched him kneel next to his younger sister and cover her with one of them.
“It would take time to gather the wood. Even if we had wood, I have no flint with me,” Marina said, walking over to kneel next to her sister.
“That is my fault. I should have been more attentive when I packed,” Geoff said in a gruff voice.
Marina reached out and touched her brother’s arm. She shook her head. There was a fierce, almost hard expression on her face.
“It was an accident. Accidents happen. Never blame yourself,” she replied.
Mike could see the love for her brother on Marina’s face. Whatever happened, it was obvious that the boy took the loss of the flint hard. In a situation like this, he could understand that sometimes a mistake or an accident could be the difference between life and death.
“I think I can handle this. You take care of your sister. I’ll be back in a little while,” Mike said.
Marina rose to her feet. Concern and a hint of panic swept across her face. She took a step closer to him, searching his face.
“Where are you going? It will be dark soon. Magna’s spell will weaken you. You will be left defenseless,” she said, shaking her head.
“You said that the spell drains magic, right?” Mike asked, lifting his hand to touch a strand of the mahogany hair that had come loose.
Confusion flickered through her eyes. “Yes,” she answered.
Mike smiled. “I don’t think I’ll have to worry about her spell slowing me down. Your sister should be kept warm. Charlie is good, but even he can only do so much. Why don’t you make her comfortable while I go get some firewood?” he suggested.
“But….”
Mike tenderly cupped Marina’s jaw and gently laid his thumb across her lips. Bending forward, he paused a breath away from her lips. He wanted nothing more than to press his lips against hers and erase the look of fear in her eyes.
“I have my own magic, remember?” he reminded her.
Her head moved up and down in agreement. With a sigh of regret, Mike pulled away. He allowed his fingers the luxury of sliding along her jaw before he turned and disappeared through the opening, back out into the forest. Twilight had descended, and new sounds began to awaken.
“Remember your Boy Scout training, Mike,” he said to himself as he began searching the ground for suitable firewood.
Chapter Seven
“Marina,” Geoff said, pulling her out of the trance.
Marina turned to look at her brother. “Yes?” she asked.
“Do you...? Do you think he might be the one Isha said Mother talked about?” Geoff asked.
“I don’t know… but, I hope so,” she said, turning back to her brother. “Can you see if we have any food left in the bag? I’ll place the healing stones around Erin.”
“We have a little. I can make soup. That will make it stretch enough for all of us and be good for Erin,” Geoff said.
Marina nodded, kneeling by her sister again. “Hurry bef
ore the fire sticks go out,” she said.
Neither spoke as they worked. Geoff worked on making soup from the dried ingredients they had, and she focused on placing the healing stones on Erin. She had to reassure Charlie that she wasn’t hurting her sister. The pup kept a keen eye on her as she worked.
Marina paused as she placed the last stone on the center of her sister’s forehead. She could feel the heat radiating from Erin’s skin before she even touched her. The feeling of helplessness rose up in her throat. What if the stones didn’t work? What if Erin….?
“I’m going to go help Mike,” Marina said, placing the last stone on Erin before rising to her feet.
“Darkness has come,” Geoff warned, looking up at her in surprise.
Marina bent over and started to pick up her bow but decided to leave it. The bow wouldn’t do her much good now. She swallowed back the bitterness threatening to choke her. Ignoring her fatigue, Marina focused on keeping herself upright, otherwise she would find herself back on the blanket beside Erin.
“I know. Try to finish the soup,” she instructed.
“Be careful,” Geoff called after her.
Marina gripped the bark of the tree and gave a sharp nod before continuing out into the darkness. She stumbled when the full weight of Magna’s spell hit her. A shiver ran through her body, and she almost turned back. Instead, she gritted her teeth and pressed on. The fire sticks would burn for a short time longer than normal due to the protection of the tree, but even the tree could not protect them from the spell.
She stopped several feet outside of the tree and closed her eyes. Without her sense of sight, her hearing became sharper. She focused on each different sound. Tilting her head to the side, she turned to the left. The faint sound of rustling and the silence of the insects in that direction told her that someone or something was there.
Marina bit back a giggle when she heard a smothered curse. Opening her eyes, she headed in Mike’s direction. He was only a few hundred feet from the large tree that was giving them shelter. In one arm, he held several long, thin branches. In his other arm, he had several decent size pieces of wood.